(1)

Directive 97/78/EC lays down requirements for veterinary checks on consignments of certain products of animal origin coming from a third country and provides, inter alia, for the storage in free zones, free warehouses or premises of operators supplying cross-border means of sea transport for the products which do not comply with Community animal health import conditions.

(2)

Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption (2), provides that Member States are to take measures to ensure that from 1 January 2005 products of animal origin intended for human consumption are introduced from third countries only if they comply with the rules laid down in that Directive.

(3)

Directive 2002/99/EC also provides for the establishment of animal health rules and certificates for products in transit immediately or after storage. Accordingly, such rules and certificates for consignments of meat, including game and poultry, and meat products, meat preparations and milk and milk products for human consumption either destined for a third country or to supply cross border means of sea transport whether by transit immediately or after storage are laid down in Council Decision 79/542/EEC (3) and Commission Decisions 94/984/EC (4), 97/221/EC (5), 2000/572/EC (6), 2000/585/EC (7), 2000/609/EC (8), 2003/779/EC (9) and 2004/438/EC (10) (the relevant Community acts).

(4)

Accordingly, from 1 January 2005, consignments of products of animal origin falling within the scope of the relevant Community acts, are to comply with the rules and are to be accompanied by the appropriate animal health certificate laid down in the relevant Community acts, when presented for introduction into free zones, free warehouses or premises of operators supplying cross border means of sea transport, thereby ensuring that animal health requirements are met.

(5)

Therefore, those consignments introduced into the Community for storage in free zones, free warehouses or premises of operators supplying cross-border means of sea transport before 1 January 2005 and which do not comply with the relevant Community acts should be dealt with in a harmonised and transparent way in order to avoid unnecessary problems for the businesses involved, whilst ensuring that there is a final fixed end date for such product to be retained in the Community.

(6)

For that reason, a transitional period of 12 months should be laid down for businesses to dispose of those products introduced into free zones, free warehouses or premises of operators supplying cross-border means of sea transport before 1 January 2005.

(7)

It is appropriate to ensure that from 1 January 2006 any such products still stored in free zones, free warehouses or premises of operators supplying cross border means of sea transport in the Community territory that do not comply with the relevant Community acts should be destroyed under control of the competent authority. All costs of such procedure should be chargeable to the owner of the consignment.

(8)

For animal health reasons, it is necessary for this Decision to apply from 1 January 2005.

(9)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,